Burdens Rest is in pandemonium, its streets littered with corpses and awash with blood. A dozen little battles rage across the town square, bands of men and women fighting for their lives against hideous creatures far more fearsome than the kobolds Felix slew in the fields.
They are twisted beings, unholy blends of man and beast.
Something across the square catches his eye. There, where the enemy are thickest, is a huge pink globe, pulsing with eldritch light. An ogre stands next to it, towering above the other monsters, his hand pressed against the strange sphere. He nods his ugly head, then moves off in the direction of the keep.
Many of the creatures follow in his wake.
For a moment Felix’s gaze lingers on the object, but there is no time to ponder what he saw. Felix and his companions plunged into the chaotic fighting, determined to do what he could to turn the tide.
Felix orders his fighters to secure this end of the square, so he could push forward without getting flanked.
Chaos favors the monsters and their bestial savagery.
He had to impose order on the battlefield if he wished to push them back!
Felix and his companions swiftly ended the lives of the creatures around the square. Satisfied that the area was safe Felix and his companions marched on….
Suddenly, a monster’s body crashes through the window of a nearby tavern that was a little further up the street from the group. A grim figure leaps out after it, a crimson sword in each hand. Roland the barkeep, a retired adventurer, has evidently lost none of his skills. Felix charged into the fray, supporting him as more monsters approached.
Back to back Felix and Roland fought the monsters that sought to destroy them. The small skirmish was quickly dealt with, Felix looked glanced back the retired adventurer . Roland gave Felix a grateful smile and told Felix he could handle himself now. Felix nodded and continued onwards his companions following closely behind him.
As Felix and his little band of fighters carried, on he heard the distant cries of a battle ahead. Felix hastened pace and his gaze fell upon the scene of a desperate battle .
The town’s blacksmith stood in the doorway of his forge, protecting those who sought shelter in there from the murderous creatures. The blacksmith’s hammer dealt mighty blows with each swing. But some of the creatures had seized flaming torches, and were going to try to set fire to the building.
Felix Had to stop them before it was late.
With shout, he and his companions plunged into the battle, Felix gave a quick ordered and told his fighters to get rid of the torchbearers first . As his companions took care of the torchbearers Felix rushed to the blacksmiths aid, the blacksmith and the people sheltered in his forge a gave a small cheer at the sight of Felix and his companions. Felix slashed the back of the creature that had been attacking the blacksmith and then plunged his sword into the creatures stunned body killing it.
Felix looked around to see if the blacksmith needed anymore help, the blacksmith gave a grunt and shook his head Felix glanced at the man and nodded turning back to the battle.
As Felix fought his way through the battle….
In the midst of the fighting he saw a woman get knocked down to the ground. She tried to get up to her feet, but her injuries were too severe. Felix fought his way to her side, and grabbed hold of her arm. If he could just drag her out of the melee…
The blacksmith that Felix had helped suddenly shouted and waved his hand over Felix realized what he wanted and lifted the injured woman, running with all his might towards the building.
The blacksmith held out his arms and Felix gently gave the woman to the man, Felix gave a grateful nod and ran back into the fray .
The monsters fall back before his assault, until he almost was at the great pink globe which had caught his gaze earlier. Once again he felt his eyes are drawn to it. He sensed its power.
A twisted creature, its torso like that of a man but its lower body that of a huge scorpion, stands next to the sphere. He places his hand against it as Felix saw the Ogre had done earlier. Felix was so close that he could see the monsters eyes glaze over as he touched the orb . Then he pulls the hand away and his malevolent eyes focus on Felix . He points in his direction and yells.
The other monsters roar in answer and redouble their efforts, fighting even more ferociously than before.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The scorpion-man scrambles towards Felix, his pincer snipping at the air and his spear thrusting at his throat.
Felix dodged to the side just as the monster’s spear passed, it was so close that it just nicked the side of his throat leaving a little cut. The twisted monster roared with fury and charged at the man, Felix felt goosebumps cover his skin as the monster scuttled towards him its tail slamming into the ground where Felix had stood seconds before. Felix rolled out of the just in time, any seconds later and he would have been impaled by the scorpion like stinger.
Felix charged at the monster his blade aiming for the twisted beasts belly, the monster cried out in pain as it felt the blade Felix held, slice through its unprotected human half. the hot blood of the monster splurted out and splattered Felix.
Enraged at the blow that the man had given him the monster swung its tail and caught Felix off-guard, the hit sent Felix hurling into a nearby pile of crates. Felix felt a jarring pain on upon impact and cried out in pain blood spurting from his mouth.
The monster grinned with malicious glee at the pain it had managed to deliver on the young man. Felix groaned his head sagging as dizziness from the pain stunned him. The creature slowly scuttled towards the fallen famer enjoying the sight.
Suddenly a shout from the crowd caught the monsters attention and a flying hammer greeted its gaze, the hammer slammed into the twisted monsters face, knocking it off balance. The Blacksmith had thrown the hammer! Felix in his dazed state, saw this and grunted forcing his body up, with one last charge he lunged inwards and struck the monsters twisted heart. With that blow the scorpion-man collapses, two of his spindly legs snapping beneath him. Around Felix, his companions were finishing off the other monsters, but he barely notice them. Once more he feel drawn to the pink sphere. he stepped towards ignoring his injuries and pressed his hands against its surface. It felt smooth, warm and-
Burden’s Rest is gone, stripped away like the dying fragments of a dream. There is only darkness, a great void on all sides. Two blue lights appear before him, suspended in the air, burning in the air, burning like a fire? No… Not lights. Eyes. A dragon emerges from the void, a huge black creature somehow darker than the darkness itself. it glares at Felix, its emotions inscrutable behind those blazing eyes. Scaly talons are clawing at his mind…
Felix quickly pulls his hand away and he realizes he is back in the town. The darkness and the dragons are gone, he had little understanding of magic but even his untutored mind realized that the globe had a connection with that creature, that it somehow allowed the Ogre and the scorpion-man to commune with it.
Felix swings his weapon at the glowing sphere, eager to destroy it before it can cause any further harm. But though it looks fragile, as if it was made of glass, it does not shatter under his blow, only a small crack appears in its surface. Felix stands back exhausted and watch’s the network of cracks spread across the sphere. The glow within it dies, fading out like the last embers of fire.
Pieces fall from it, like… like the shell of an egg.
A blue reptilian foot crashes through the surface, clawing away a big section of the shell. Another follows. Then a snout, a miniature version of the one he saw in his vision, but for its color. A few seconds more and a dragon whelp stands before him. Shaking the last pieces of its egg from its scaled hide. Its curious eyes fix on Felix and holds his gaze for a moment. The the beast lunges. Felix hastily raised his weapon, but its not going for him.
Felix looks to the side and sees the scorpion-man’s pincer just inches from his leg. The dragon’s jaws are clamped around it, thwarting the strike. Another snap of its azure jaws and the scorpion-man finally succumbs to death.
The dragon whelp looks up as if seeking his approval. Felix’s companions stand behind him, clearly unsure of what to do. Silence reigns in the square, a stark contrasts to the clamorous battle waged there mere minutes ago. Then a voice from the crowd breaks it.
“The Children… We sent them into the keep when those things attacked.”
The image of the ogre heading to the keep flashes in Felix’s mind. He instructs some of his followers to keep an eye on the dragon, and lead the others towards the building.
Felix hoped he wouldn't be too late…